Through his works, the artist conveys this idea: the universality of creation, the interconnectedness of all beings, and the concept of friendship. This idea also suggests that he views art as a kind of prayer or connection between all created beings.
“When we look at a beautiful image or scene, something awakens within us. Our higher self collaborates and unites with all of this, and perhaps if people begin to live according to this law of creation, their hearts will beat in unison with everything,” says the artist.
Every branch of art is precisely the field where people begin to think, pay closer attention to processes, and first and foremost, discover within themselves: “Perhaps the heart begins to beat differently. This spring that exists is always new; spring never repeats itself. For example, when we see a blossoming tree, do we remember that we’ve seen the same tree for 60 years? We rejoice like children… perhaps that’s exactly what an artist needs.”
This is not just about art, but about something deeper—the ability to feel, to find profound meaning in small moments of life, and most importantly, about the journey of knowing ourselves. You can navigate this path more easily, opening the door to a world where feelings deepen, observation becomes an event, and everyday sights transform into art in the ninth part of the “Mystery of Creation” video series, implemented within the framework of the “ZArt” cultural project by Iravaban.net.
“ZArt” has a special mission: to build a bridge between art and society. The project aims to present Armenian artists and their exceptional works not only to Armenian society but also to the diaspora and abroad, contributing to the popularization of art and the recognition of artists. Through this series of videos, society draws closer to art, and artists closer to society, creating a beautiful space for cultural understanding.
Aram Hakobyan appreciates every type of art if it is done professionally: “If the creator is inspired, enjoys their work, and does it with love, that is transferred to the canvas… in every work, not necessarily a painting. In my opinion, the mission of art lies precisely in this—when the invested energy spreads, enters people’s homes, or reaches the heart in the form of music. The gift of creation is a miracle given to humans.”
Details in the video.
The creator and director of the “ZArt” cultural project is Karen Zadoyan, and the author and director of the “Mystery of Creation” video series is Vazgen Ghukasyan.
]]>Details in the video.
]]>According to the clergyman, atheism is an ideology that rejects God and divine beings, supposedly based on experience, rational thinking, and scientific foundations.
“Unfortunately, in post-Soviet countries, militant atheism is more widespread, which persecuted the church and clergy during the Soviet era. During the communist period, this ideology was also used against the nobility and clergy,” he noted.
According to the clergyman, one of the more positive manifestations of atheism is humanistic atheism, which contains moral elements.
“The Soviet Union has collapsed, and we have gained independence, but we see that there is no concept from the state or authorities to give place to spiritual and moral values. Even within atheism, there can be moral aspects, which we do not deny. Many atheists try to maintain their share of duty toward conscience, moral norms, the state, and homeland, but from an ecclesiastical perspective, I think this is not sufficient. From a church perspective, the existence of God, the circumstance of God is very important, meaning that atheistic humanism leads to anthropocentrism,” said Father Vrtanes.
Details in the video.
]]>The basis for the case was A. Stepanyan’s application submitted to the Constitutional Court on January 10, 2025, while the disciplinary proceedings were initiated following a report addressed to the Minister of Justice.
Attached to the report were the relevant lawyer’s applications addressed to Arthur Stepanyan, former judge of the First Instance Civil Court of General Jurisdiction of Yerevan.
The Minister of Justice submitted a petition to the Supreme Judicial Council regarding subjecting the judge to disciplinary responsibility.
On July 9, 2024, the concluding part of the Council’s decision was published, which decided to satisfy the petition on subjecting Judge Arthur Stepanyan to disciplinary responsibility and terminate his powers on the grounds of significant disciplinary violation.
What position did the applicant express?
The applicant noted that all 10 members of the Supreme Judicial Council participated in the session held on June 17, but only 8 members’ votes were counted during the voting on the decision to terminate the judge’s powers. Moreover, the content of the decision on terminating the judge’s powers indicates that the Supreme Judicial Council made this decision with full composition – with the participation of all 10 members.
“Although ten members participated in the court session, exercising all the rights reserved for judges, including asking questions, which could influence the formation of their positions, the vote count was based on 8.
Furthermore, the Supreme Judicial Council, having the opportunity to ensure the participation of all members who attended the voting session, did not create such a condition, and for the purpose of vote counting, disregarded 2 judges who participated in the court session.”
What position did the respondent express?
The respondent stated: “It is obvious that the requirement of unanimity in collegial bodies for decision-making will inevitably lead to the impossibility of making decisions and insurmountable obstacles for the activities of that body. In the case of the Supreme Judicial Council, the legislator, by providing for a decision on subjecting a judge to disciplinary responsibility requires a majority of Council members participating in the session, but not less than at least half of the Council members’ votes, found that the presence of the specified number of votes is sufficient for the Council to make a legitimate decision.
Moreover, the RA legislation does not in any case differentiate between the decisions of collegial bodies depending on how many members of the given body supported the decision. That is, a decision made with the maximum number of votes has the same legitimacy and legal force in legal terms as a decision made with the minimum required number of votes.”
The Constitutional Court noted that under the above-mentioned legal provision, when subjecting a judge to disciplinary responsibility, the Council’s decision to terminate their powers on the basis of significant disciplinary violation can be adopted with half of the total number of Council members, that is, 5 votes in favor.
In the decision, the Constitutional Court noted that according to Part 1 of Article 164, titled “Status of a Judge”: “A judge is independent when administering justice (…)”. In the context of the above, the procedure for adopting a decision by the Council on subjecting a judge to disciplinary responsibility by applying the disciplinary sanction of “termination of powers on the grounds of significant disciplinary violation”, under which the decision on terminating a judge’s powers on the grounds of significant disciplinary violation can be adopted with half of the total number of Council members’ votes in favor, seriously endangers the principle of judicial independence, as there is an illegitimate interference with the judge’s further tenure.
The Constitutional Court insisted that disciplinary proceedings against judges must be carried out with strict observance of constitutional and procedural principles required for judicial proceedings.
It should be emphasized that when making the decision, the Constitutional Court did not even consider it necessary to address the issue of interpretation given in the law enforcement practice to the corresponding regulation enshrined in the first sentence of Part 6 of Article 94 cited by the applicant.
Thus, the Constitutional Court decided:
- To recognize the first sentence of Part 6 of Article 94 of the Constitutional Law “Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia” – in the part providing such regulation for adopting decisions of the Supreme Judicial Council on terminating a judge’s powers on the grounds of significant disciplinary violation when subjecting them to disciplinary responsibility, under which the decision can be adopted with half of the total number of Supreme Judicial Council members, that is, five votes in favor – as contradicting Articles 49 in conjunction with Article 75, Article 164 Part 1, Article 174 Parts 1-3, Article 175 Part 1 Point 7 and Part 2 of the Constitution.
- Taking into account the need not to undermine legal security, in accordance with Article 170, Part 3 of the Constitution, Article 68, Part 9, Point 4, Part 19, and Article 69, Part 13 of the Constitutional Law “On the Constitutional Court” – to set July 1, 2025 as the deadline for the loss of legal force of the provision of the Constitutional Law “Judicial Code of the Republic of Armenia” recognized as contradicting the Constitution in Point 1 of the concluding part of this Constitutional Court decision, in the part of the legislative regulation specified therein, allowing the National Assembly to bring it into compliance with this decision.
- According to Article 170, Part 2 of the Constitution, this decision is final and enters into force from the moment of its publication.
The full decision is available here
]]>“This is problematic because it could be a report of ill-treatment or an urgent need to protect a person’s rights, about which we are informed later, especially when these follow non-working days,” she said.
Another issue, according to our interviewee, is censorship, when individuals submit complaints as open text without a sealed envelope, and in this case, the penitentiary institution becomes familiar with the content of the complaint: “This is also a subculture issue, because people are still influenced by these subcultural norms, that complaints need to be provided as open text for discussion, so they understand who the complaint concerns and what issue it addresses.”
Laura Gasparyan noted that currently the Human Rights Defender’s hotline procedure works quite effectively, and they receive many calls regarding the protection of the rights of persons deprived of liberty.
“We receive complaints of various nature, mainly related to issues within criminal proceedings, health protection rights, cell conditions, as well as difficulties in accessing translation services. We have received complaints regarding conditional early release issues.
We have also received alerts about food quality, specifically that the food on a particular day was of very poor quality; of course, we immediately contacted the service, and steps were taken,” said Gasparyan.
In our conversation, she also discussed the cooperation between the Human Rights Defender and penitentiary institutions, the actions outlined in the judicial strategy, and other issues.
According to her, the 2023-2026 judicial strategy envisions a procedure for submitting anonymous complaints, which currently faces difficulties: “A final procedure has not yet been developed, only drafts have been received suggesting legislative changes to specific legal acts, which will establish the possibility of submitting anonymous complaints, but what procedures, regulations, and mechanisms these entail is not yet clear.”
Details in the video.
The Armenian Lawyers’ Association conducts monitoring aimed at judicial and legal reforms, anti-corruption policy, as well as the implementation of the national strategy for human rights protection and resulting action plans. Within the monitoring framework, the online professional media Iravaban.net, with the help of field specialists, analyzes and covers both fully implemented actions as well as partially implemented or completely unfulfilled ones, also addressing the gaps, obstacles, and reasons recorded in them.
]]>Prosecutor General Anna Vardapetyan received a commemorative statuette depicting a Red Army soldier symbolizing the Soviet army’s victory in the Great Patriotic War from the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation on April 7.
Vardapetyan estimated the value of the received gift at 60 thousand drams. It is noted that the gift was sent via postal service.
Defense Minister Suren Papikyan received a “GNOMON” brand silver, gold-plated wristwatch (925 grade, 25-26 grams, with a genuine leather strap, in a red box) from Edik Hakobyan, the acting chairman of the Anti-Corruption Committee.
The gift was presented on January 21 for ensuring close and effective cooperation with the anti-corruption committee, as well as on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the formation of the RA Armed Forces.
The value of the gift was estimated at 170 thousand drams.
Let us remind you that as a result of amendments to the “Law on Public Service,” new rules regarding the acceptance of gifts have been established. According to these regulations, gifts given during state, official visits, events, as well as during work visits and business trips are handed over to the state or community if their value exceeds 60,000 AMD.
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From its inception, Team Telecom Armenia has been committed to environmental stewardship, a principle embedded in its Sustainable Development Strategy. With forests playing a critical role as Armenia’s primary carbon sinks, and with the company aiming to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 40% by 2029, expanding forested areas has become a strategic priority.
We’ve been joining Earth Day for the past three years, demonstrating our Company’s commitment to sustainable development in practice”,-said Arevik Mkrtchyan, Environmental and Social Expert at Team Telecom Armenia.
“We’re especially proud that this year’s initiative is widely supported by our customers. Afforestation is vital for regions vulnerable to climate change, which is why we selected Lori — an area frequently impacted by natural disasters.”
The tree planting will be carried out in collaboration with the Armenia Tree Project (ATP), an organization that has extensive experience in afforestation and nature conservation. ATP will also oversee the long-term care and maintenance of the new forest. Full afforestation will take place during spring and fall 2025.
“When creating forests, we consider not only their environmental benefits, but also the protective, socio-economic functions, along with their role in preserving biodiversity,” said Vahe Matsakyan, Head of the Forestry Projects at Armenia Tree Project. “Given the growing threat of climate-related disasters, we are increasing our afforestation efforts each year, prioritizing the most vulnerable areas”.
Team Telecom Armenia has made notable progress in environmental sustainability over recent years through the implementation of a comprehensive Environmental & Social Management System. In 2024, 22.8% of the company’s vehicle fleet consisted of electric vehicles, significantly contributing to GHG emission reduction efforts. Additionally, the installation of solar photovoltaic systems led to 4.1% of the company’s total energy consumption coming from renewable sources — a 20-fold increase compared to 2022.
The company has also made strides in promoting circularity within Company premises, such as:
- Over 6,000 kg of paper and cardboard have been recycled during 2024.
- The adoption of e-sim technology has eliminated the need for approximately 557 kg of plastic, preventing equivalent plastic waste.
- Through the reuse of electronic devices, nearly 11,522 units were refurbished or repurposed in the past year alone.
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22, dedicated to promoting and supporting environmental protection efforts around the world. This year, it is observed under the inspiring theme:
“Our Power, Our Planet”, emphasizing the collective responsibility and potential of individuals and communities to protect and restore the environment.
Telecom Armenia OJSC (brand name: Team Telecom Armenia) is an Armenian company that holds a leading position in the country’s telecommunications and information technology sectors. As the successor to the first telecom network in Armenia, the company has more than 100 years of experience in providing services in the field. Team provides mobile and fixed internet, digital television, mobile and fixed telephony services to both individual and corporate subscribers.
Public Relations Department: pr@telecomarmenia.am
]]>The policy adopted by the state in the field of enforcement was to proceed in 2 directions: one was the complete digitalization of enforcement proceedings, and the second was legislative reforms. As a result, in 2024, the electronic system of enforcement proceedings that had been created over the years was launched, through which the enforcement proceedings were completely digitized. This was stated by the Deputy Chief Enforcement Officer Gohar Mkrtchyan in a conversation with Iravaban.net.
Details are in the video.
]]>Yeprem Karapetyan, Head of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development and Monitoring Department of the Ministry of Justice, noted in a conversation with Iravaban.net that since 2023, mechanisms for ongoing integrity studies have been implemented, and currently integrity studies are being conducted for persons applying for positions, persons advancing in positions, as well as all current officials.
Karapetyan mentions that as a result of the 2024 legislative changes, the integrity study process itself has been improved, and now positive and negative conclusions are provided by the CPC (Corruption Prevention Commission), and the points on which this procedure should operate have also been clarified.
Details are in the video.
The Armenian Lawyers Association monitors the implementation of judicial and legal reforms, anti-corruption policy, as well as the national strategy for human rights protection and action plans derived from them. Within the monitoring framework, the Iravaban.net online professional media, with the help of specialists in the field, analyzes and covers both fully implemented actions, as well as partially implemented or completely unfulfilled actions, also addressing the gaps, obstacles, and reasons recorded in them.
]]>According to Iravaban.net, the session was adjourned for 5 minutes, after which the judge removed a journalist from Yerevan.Today news site from the courtroom.
-Respected journalists, do we have someone from Yerevan.Today?
-That’s me.
-Stand up.
-Do they prompt you every time when writing headlines? Do they suggest what headlines to write?
-Do you think we can’t work independently like you?
-What do you mean?
-I mean, if you’re accusing me that perhaps someone prompts me what headlines to write, I could have the same opinion about you – thinking that someone prompts you how to conduct a trial.
-Leave the courtroom.
After the journalist left, the judge justified what happened by saying that his staff had shown him and noted emphases each time.
“They also told me which media outlet it belongs to, I didn’t even know. But one cannot try every time in this or that way… let’s not elaborate. Well, let me say – each time there is an emphasis on ‘former CP judge.’ If you have something to say, say it like a man. If you want to express a recusal, express your recusal,” the judge said.
Advocate Aram Orbelyan said that the judge’s statement implies he has a conviction that the advocates discussed article headlines with the journalist.
“To make such a claim, we need to have grounds. The mere fact that a specific media outlet has a positive or negative attitude toward certain political forces does not provide grounds to assume that specific individuals are censoring the media outlet,” noted the advocate.
Advocate Lusine Sahakyan, addressing the incident, emphasized that the court is violating publicity.
“Moreover, you are restricting freedom of speech, which you have no right to do. Furthermore, the defense side can communicate with journalists, has the right to communicate, and in some cases, it is mandatory to communicate. I found that article, the journalist wrote ‘Let us remind you that the judge is a former CP member.’ Aren’t you a former CP member?” noted Lusine Sahakyan.
The judge asked who doesn’t know that he was a member of the “Civil Contract” party for two months.
Lusine Sahakyan said that she would pursue this issue with the judge until the end of the case and beyond.
Details in the video.
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